Bad ligning port

My Problem

IPhine 5 would not charge anymore, I suspect the connector was damaged by a car phone holder putting lateral pressure on it.

My Fix

Let me start by telling you a little bit about myself: I am an Electrical Engineer with over 30 years of experience designing (and reparing) electronics.

I found the dissasembly guides clear and easy to follow, however, there are a few steps out of order or completely missing. For example, rule #1 is to always disconnect all sources of power before touching anything else, and likewise, power should be the last to be restored. Your instructions have users disconnect the display connectors with the phone live! while it may be convenient from an ergonomic point of view, it is very dangerous. A slip of the screwdriver or a loose screw could easily land on an exposed connector and "let the magic smoke out".

Second, there is no guidelines regarding ESD. That's rule #2. A $5 wrist strap could prevent a spark that ruins a $700 phone.

Also there are missing steps: the microphone rubber boot needs to be moved and the entire re-assembly process needs to be documented. it's a lot easier to take something apart than it is to put it back together. Cables have to be routed correctly, assemblies have to be put in the correct sequence, glue strips have to be peeled at the right time, etc.

Telling users to follow the instructions backwards is a lazy way out.

My Advice

- Read all the user's comments before starting

- Buy and use a wrist strap

- Disconnect the battery FIRST and reconnect it LAST

- move the mic rubber boot

- when the repair is done and the phne is closed, don't despair because it won't power up. You need to hold both buttons down for 30 seconds to reboot the phone.

- ask iFixit for the rest of the guide

To iFixit: complete the darn guide! you only take us half way through and leave it to the user to figure out how to do the most difficult part.